Be-Youtiful Chocolate Banana Muffins

Be-Youtiful Chocolate Banana Muffins

Happy Friday everyone! This week I am back with another recipe. This one is indulgent, comforting and the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Need something to fix that sweet craving? Need something to take to work? Need something indulgent and delicious to replace that shop bought cake? Don’t worry, I have it covered this week.

I love sharing my recipes and I love being in the kitchen, it makes me feel so amazing. Baking and cooking is my hobby and it allows me to be creative, it allows me to express my personality, and it allows me to experiment with flavours. When I am in the kitchen surrounded by natural produce I feel so alive and I feel incredibly inspired. Creating dishes and experimenting makes me feel a sense a calmness and it allows me to truly unwind. I think of it as a form of meditation! Meditation doesn’t have to be a strict ritual, it can be carried out anywhere (in my opinion). Whenever you feel a sense of calmness, embrace it for a few moments and cherish the feelings of complete nothingness, it is spectacular.

Anyway, let’s not digress anymore! The concept for these bananas came from my love for banana bread. The banana bread that my mum makes in the winter months; her banana bread is comforting, delicious and tummy hugging. However, it is packed full of refined sugar and it isn’t a sustainable source of energy (sorry mum! However, it is super delicious). I wanted to transform this family favourite into something that could be eaten at breakfast and it is slightly healthier than my mum’s version.

Yes, this recipe does contain chocolate chips. However, these can be removed and replaced with nuts, dried fruit or seeds, and the honey is completely optional too. Remember eating indulgent food is good for the soul, but I only indulge every now and then. I would much prefer to eat foods that will benefit me long-term and supply me with an adequate source of energy.

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These muffins are the perfect lunchbox and handbag size and they are child approved! I decorated the tops of the muffins with a sprinkle of coconut sugar and cinnamon for extra warmth and crunch, it adds a wonderful touch. I have tried to swap the refined sugars for healthier alternatives and choose ingredients that have additional benefits. I am not a nutritionist or a health expert. These muffins have been created by myself because I love baking and I wanted to experiment with healthier ingredients and make simple swaps from the original recipe. No harm in experimenting!

Be-Youtiful – Why This Name?

Leggings: VS Sport, Top: Nike Women’s

If you have browsed my previous recipes which follow the same theme, you will have noticed that I name my recipes after concepts that resonate with my ethos. I always want my recipes to create a connection with you, the reader. I want my recipes to serve a purpose and I want them to make you smile. From the inside, out.

The recipes are much more than a few ingredients in a bowl; they are a thought process, they are a creation and they are from my heart. Although, this may sound daft, when I create a recipe it comes from a thought, an experience and it comes from what I feel on a particular day.

Create these banana muffins, sit back with your favourite refreshment and take a moment to realise how beautiful you are. The beauty that is within; the toffee wrapper on the outside, does not matter. We are all very individual and unique, we all serve a purpose in life, and we are all so beautiful. We can create change, we can formulate power and we can generate so much positivity. However, it is up to you to find that purpose, to find that power and to radiate the positivity. Why rely on somebody else? Be happy within yourself. Why just view ourselves as a figure in the mirror? We are much more than that, we are a collection of tiny concepts, built together that results in a wonderful piece of artwork. We all work very hard for much more than an ‘ideal figure’. Just like a piece of artwork, it can take time, or it can be achieved in a matter of minutes, either way, it is formulated from a deeper meaning. The artwork is admired for its hard work, for its natural qualities and for its imaginative process. Just like we should admire ourselves in this way.

You don’t have anyone to answer to and you should empower every single aspect of yourself. Love yourself, be yourself, and don’t try and change to fit in or to make somebody else happy. If you should change; the moment isn’t right, the timing isn’t right and the people around you, don’t understand (from my own experience).

I surround myself with friends and family that believe in me and they make me feel incredible. They couldn’t care less about the way I looked, all they care about is that I am happy and positive. It may sound crazy, but the right people that should be in your life love you for who you are, not for how you look. For an example; ask your friend what they love about you… I am sure they would reply with something like ‘loyal, generous, kind and loving’ not ‘you have a thigh gap and your abs are killer!‘ honestly, embrace and notice your inner beauty. Your dedication, your positivity, your strength, your knowledge, your goodwill. These are elements of beauty and not one single one involves a specific dress size.

Look beyond the outside and start to realise your beauty from within.

If you re-create the goodness, please be sure to tag me in your photographed creations, it makes me smile so much – #positivelyjessicaward.

I hope you all have a cheerful weekend! A little positive thought or action goes a long way.

• Hi, I'm Jessica! •
I was 15 when I first experienced bullying and depression. 7 years on and I am now an award-winning health blogger, passionate journalist, avid explorer and foodie and fitness lover. Positively Jessica Ward is a blog and location for all things positive. Magnetic colour, mouthwatering recipes and infectious positivity!